LEGUMINOS-E. (pULSE FAMILT.) 123 



Okdee 32. liEGUMINOS^. (Pulse Family.) 



Plants with papilionaceous or sometimes regular flowers, 10 {rarely 5 and 

 sometimes many) monadelphous, diadelphous, or rarely distinct stamens, and 

 a single simple free pistil, becoming a legume in fruit. Seeds mostly without 

 albumen. Leaves alternate, with_jti^es, usually compound. One of the 

 sepals inferior (i. e. next the bract) ; one of the petak superior (i. e. next 

 the axis of the inflorescence). — A very large order (nearly free from 

 noxious qualities), of which the principal representatives in northern tem- 

 perate regions belong to the first of the three suborders it comprises. 



SuBOKBER I. PAPIHOIVACE.a;. iPROPER Pulse Family. '' 

 Calyx of 5 sepals, more or less united, often unequally so. Corolla peri- 

 gynous (inserted into the base of the calyx), of 5 irregular petals (or very 

 rarely fewBr), imbricated in the bud, more or less distinctly ^ap&'onaceous, 

 i. e. with the upper or odd petal, called the vexillum or standard, larger 

 than the others and enclosing them in the bud, usually turned backward 

 or spreading ; the two lateral ones, called the wings, oblique and exterior 

 to the two lower petals, which last are connivent and commonly more or 

 less coherent by their anterior edges, forming a body named the carina or 

 heel, from its resemblance to the keel or prow of a boat, and which usually 

 encloses the stamens and pistil. Stamens 10, very rarely 5, inserted with 

 the corolla, monadelphous, diadelphous (mostly with 9 united in one set 

 in a tube which is cleft on the upper side, i. e. next the standard, and the 

 tenth or upper one separate), or occasionally distinct. Ovary 1-celled, some- 

 times 2-celled by an intrusion of one of the sutures, or transversely 2- 

 many-celled by cross-division into joints : style simple : ovules amphitro- 

 pous, rarely anatropous. Cotyledons large, thick or thickish : radicle 

 incurved. — Leaves simple or simply compound, the earliest ones in ger- 

 mination usually opposite, the rest alternate : leaflets almost always quite 

 entire. Flowers perfect, solitary and axillary, or in spikes, racemes, or 



panicles. 



A. Stamens monadelphous or diadelphous. 



Tribe I. GENISTE^. Shrubs or herbs, never climbiag, with simple or palmately com- 

 pound leaves, and peduncles terminal or opposite the leaves. Stamens monadelphous : an- 

 thers of two forms. Pod continuous. 



1. Ijupinus. Calyx deeply 2-lipped. Keel scythe-shaped, pointed. Pod flat. 



2. Crotalarla. Calyx 5-lobed. Keel scythe-shaped, pointed. Pod inflated. Leaves simple. 



5. Genista. Keel straight, deflexed. Pod usually flat. Leaves simple. 



Tribe II. TRIFOI4IE.2E. Herbs, not climbing, with 3 - (rarely 5 - 7-) foliolate leaves, 

 the veinlets of the leaflets often running into minute teeth, and the stipules united with the 

 base of the petiole. Peduncles axillary. Stamens diadelphous : anthers uniform. Pod small 

 and 1 -few-seeded, or coiled. 



1. Trifollnm. Plowers capitate. Pods membranaceous, 1-6-seeded. Petals adherent to 

 the stamen-tube. 



6. Melllotus. Flowers racemed. Pods coriaceous, wrinkled, l-2-3eeded. 



6. Medlcago. Flowers racemed or spited. Pods curved or coiled, l-ffew-aeeded. 



